Frank h



(No Model.) f F. H. CHASE.

BOX. No. 578,967. Patented Mar. 16, 1897.

ilivrrnn drafts PATENT rtree.

FRANK II. CHASE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,967, dated March16, 1897. Application filed November 25,1896. Serial No. 613,387. (Nomodel.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. CHASE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Boxes, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which are made a part hereof, and in Which- Figure l is aperspective view of a box embodying the invention with the top thereofremoved. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof on the line 22, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section thereof on the line 33, Fig. 2.

The invention, broadly stated, consists in a box having in the insidethereof a diagonal partition in the nature of a false bottom, whichdivides the box into two separate compartments. As shown in thedrawings, the box proper comprises four side pieces A A B B, two coversC C', and a false bottom D. Preferably the side pieces B B' overlap theends of the side pieces A A and the covers overlap all four side pieces.When the box leaves the factory, the several pieces comprising it areall secured together, one at least of the side pieces B B being sosecured that it may be removed for the purpose of filling the box. Tothis end I prefer to secure this removable side piece in place bynailing it to the side pieces A A alone, so that it may be readilyremoved. The false bottom D extends over the entire area bounded by thesides of the box and divides its interior into two separate compartmentsX and Y, disposed one above the other, each of which is equal incapacity to one-half of the full capacity of the box. The false bottomextends from the top of one of the sides to the bottom of the oppositeside of the box and its ends are beveled in order to make tight jointswith the sides which they join, respectively, and to which they aresecured, preferably, by nails d.

When the box leaves the factory, each of the covers C C is preferablysecured in place by being nailed to both of the sides A A and to one ofthe sides B B, but is not secured to the other of the sides B B. Theobject of this is to permit the side (B or B', as the case may be) towhich the covers are not secured to be readily removed for the purposeof filling, as described. After the box is iilled the removed side isreplaced and secured by nailing it to the sides A A' and, if desired, bynailing to it the adjacent edges of the covers C C'.

When it is desired to remove the contents of the box, one of the coversC or C is removed and the contents removed from the compartment X or Ywhich is uppermost. The inclined false bottom will enable the contentsof the box to be removed by means of a scoop very much more convenientlythan if it were necessary to force the scoop into the mass of whatevermaterial the box is filled with. This is a decided advantage in a boxwhich is used for containing fresh or dried fruits and other materialsof such a nature that the use of a scoop for handling them is eitherdifficult because the material packs and will not admit the scoopreadily or because the thrusting of the scoop down into the materialinjures it to a greater or less extent.

With dried fruits, such as raisins, (especially raisins from which theseeds have been removed,) prunes, and the like, it is not only difficultto force the scoop down into a mass of the fruit, but doing so injuresthe fruit, but with a box constructed as described the inclined falsebottom enables the scoop to be thrust under the material with great easeand Without doing any damage. When the contents of one of thecompartments of the box are removed, the box is inverted, the othercover is removed, and the contents of the other compartment thus madeaccessible.

Aside from the advantages which this inclined false bottom affords inremoving the contents of the box it affords the packer and shipper allof the advantages which are incident to the packing of the goods inlarge packages and it affords to the retailer or consumer all of theadvantages which are incibox constructed as described, with a fullcapacity for, say, fty pounds, the packer and shipper has all of theadvantages which are incident to packing the goods in a fifty-pound IOOpackage, while the retailer or consumer has all of the advantages whichare incident to having the goods packed in two twenty-fivepoundpackages.

Upon the exterior of the box is a mark D', of any suitable character,which indicates the position of the false bottom and thereby serves as aguide to the person opening the box.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a packing-box having an inclinedfalse bottom dividing its interior into two separate compartmentsdisposed one above the other, and a separate removable cover for each ofsaid compartments, the arrangement being such that, when the box is inupright position, by removing` the cover Which is for the time being atthe top of the box access may be had to the top of the compartment whichis for the time being uppermost, and by inverting the box and removingthe other cover access may be had to the top of the other compartment,substantially as set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a packing-box having an inclinedfalse bottom extending over the entire area bounded by the sides of thebox and dividing its interior into two separate compartments disposedone above the other, a separate cover for each of said compartments,each of said covers extending over the entire area bound ed by the sidesof the box, and means for removably securing said covers in place, thearrangement being such that, when the box is in upright position theentire top side of the compartment which is for the time being uppermostmay be uncovered by removing the cover which is for the time being atthe top of the box, and by inverting the box and removing the othercover the entire top side of the other compartment will be uncovered,substantially as set forth.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a packing-box having an inclinedfalse bottom extending over the entire area bounded by the sides of thebox and proceeding from the top of the box at one side thereof to thebottom of the box at the opposite side thereof, whereby the interior ofthe box is divided into two separate compartments, disposed one abovethe other, a separate cover for each of said compartments and means forsecuring said covers in place, the arrangement being such that, when thebox is in upright position, by removing the cover which is for the timebeing at the top of the box access may be had to the top of thecompartment which is for the time being uppermost, and by inverting thebox and removing the other cover access may be had to the top of theother compartment, substantially as set forth.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a packing-box having an inclinedfalse bottom extending over the entire area bounded by the sides of thebox and proceeding from the top of the box at one side thereof to thebottom of the box at the opposite side thereof, wherebythe interior ofthe box is divided into two separate compartments disposed one above theother, a separate cover for each of said compartments and means forremovably securing said covers in place, one of the two sides which arecrossed diagonally by the false bottom being removable, whereby accessmay be had to both of said compartments at one and the same time for thepurpose of iilling the box, the arrangement being such that, when thebox is in upright position, by removing the cover which is for the timebeing at the top of the box access may be had to the top of thecompartment which is for the time being uppermost, and by inverting thebox and removing the other cover access may be had to the top of theother compartment, substantially as set forth.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a packing-box having an inclinedfalse bottom dividing its interior into two separate compartmentsdisposed one above the other, a separate cover for each of saidcompartments, means for removably securing said covers in place, andmeans upon the outside of the box for indicating the position of theinclined false bottom, substantially as set forth.

FRANK II. CHASE.

Vitnesses:

L. M. HOPKINS, I. Cnoss.

